Sotto claims support from 7th district mayors

All seven mayors of the 7th District of Cebu Province have reportedly committed to support the vice presidential bid of Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III.

Sotto, in a statement released to the media, made the announcement after meeting with Dumanjug Mayor Efren Guntrano “Gungun” Gica yesterday. The meeting was hosted by Gica in his residence in Dumanjug.

It was attended by 7th District Rep. Peter John Calderon and all the mayors--Mayor Fritz Lastimoso of Alcantara; Mayor Dean Singco of Ginatilan; Mayor Terence Blanco of Ronda; Mayor Carmencita Lumain of Badian; Alegria Mayor Verna Magallon; and Samboan Mayor Tito Calderon. Moalboal mayoralty candidate Inocencio Cabaron was also present.

Sotto said the district congressman also pledged his support to him.

“Yes, they gave me the commitment that all of them will be supporting me for the vice presidency. Congressman Calderon and all the mayors, all the seven mayors and a bonus, as one mayor from another district also. As a matter of fact, there is a bonus from one mayor who is a sibling of Congressman Calderon from other district (that also supported me),” Sotto said.

“I am very happy and very pleased with the attendance. The leadership of Congressman Peter John Calderon is very obvious, and of course the leadership of Dumanjug Mayor Gungun Gica is very laudable, among his peers in the district itself,” he added.

In a report by Radyo Pilipinas, Calderon said they only give Sotto the opportunity to talk to the people. He did not confirm nor deny Sotto’s claim.

"We are just giving him the opportunity to talk to the people," he was quoted in the report.

Calderon and his allied mayors are with One Cebu Party which has earlier declared support for Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte.

According to Sotto, the mayors were amazed by the Barangay Reform Agenda for Village Empowerment (BRAVE) program advocated by him and presidential candidate, Senator Panfilo Lacson.

BRAVE is a bottom-up budgeting approach that if institutionalized, it will ensure automatic allocation of P500 million budget for each of the country’s 82 provinces, P100 million for each of the country’s 145 cities, P50 million for each of the country’s 1,493 municipalities, and P5 million for each of the country’s 42,046 barangays.

Sotto said the new budgeting program that they will ensure once elected in the May 9 national elections will not only ensure an exceptional development in the metropolitan areas but in the countryside localities as well.

“The LGUs should not be the ones asking for money from the government. The government should be the one providing for them,” Sotto said.